1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to candles, generally, and more specifically, to decorated candles with paper bearing designs.
2. Background Art
Candles have been used in the past for ornamental purposes. Typically candles are decorated by putting a design onto the wax of the candle in a complicated process, or by using a paper including a design like a gravure printing process and removing the paper later after leaving the design on the wax of the candle. With these conventional methods, the design which remains on the the wax of the candle could be easily damaged during the process and even after the process. I have therefore found that it is impossible to correct or otherwise improve the conventional process in order to get a more perfect design on the wax of the candle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,974,014 for a Method For Transferring Design Image To Wax Articles issued to M. U. Meisner, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,030,959 for an Apparatus For Transferring Design Image To Wax Articles issued to M. M. Meisner respectively disclose a process and an apparatus for transferring design images to wax articles. These references mention an apparatus and method for transferring design images to wax articles with a finishing station to make the candle, a cooling station, a drying station, a design image transfer station and a paper removal station. In the design image transfer station using the gravure printing process, preprinted, design-bearing waxed sheets are progressively wound about a corresponding candle body in a close conforming relationship. The tight wrapping is facilitated by virtue of the pressure applied through a carriage engaging the candle and by virtue of the heat at 125xc2x0 F. applied through a hot water inlet of the transfer roller. This causes the inked design image printed on the waxed sheet to be transferred to the candle body. In the paper removal station, the paper is removed by the vacuum roller and discarded. I have noticed that this method has several critical defects and that the design could be damaged during the process for removing the paper from the candle with the vacuum roller.
Moreover, I have found that it is very inconvenient and defective process for forming an image on a candle because there is still something, for example the transferred sheet, to be removed from the design after the image was printed on the candle. Furthermore such an image decorated and obtained by using this conventional method cannot be clear and sharply defined, like a picture or the drawings on the paper.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,636,370 for a Method Of Decorating Candles And The Product Thereof issued to G. A. Kramer, discloses a method of decorating candles having a wick and a wax layer. A pattern holder which has a base, a rim around the top of the base and design elements is prepared. The base is placed upon the hot plate or heat source. A candle is brought into contact with the upper edge of the pattern holder or the upper edge of the design element, and rolled thereover, whereupon heated metal will melt the candle covering and cause the candle to be etched. In another embodiment of Kramer, melted wax is filled with the design element. The colored wax in melted condition is congealed in a film on the candle within the boundary defined by the groove which is etched out by the upper edge of the design element. In my opinion, this method uses only the simple design and the design transferred to the candle cannot be as clear as the design borne by the paper.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an improved process for decorating candles and an improved decorated candle.
It is another object to provide a decorated candle having at least one layer of wax and a process for decorating the candle with a design bearing paper.
It is an yet another object to provide a candle, with a wax layer wrapped with at least one paper bearing an elaborate design on the outer side of the paper, and the outer side of the wax layer contacting the inner side of the paper.
It is still another object to provide a candle wrapped with paper decorated by a design such as a drawing, figure, or picture, which is heated and pressed onto the outer surface of the candle, wherein heat is transferred through the paper to the wax layer, and the outer portion of wax layer will melt or become soft, and bond with the design bearing paper.
It is still yet another object to provide a candle surrounded by a design bearing paper, wherein melted wax soaks into the paper, and the melted wax in the wax layer and the soaked wax in the paper congeal and form bonds between the paper and the wax layer of the candle.
It is also an object to provide a process for making a candle decorated with at least one paper bearing an elaborated design without removing the paper involved in decorating process from the candle after the candle was decorated by imposition of the design on the wax layer of the candle.
These and other objects may be achieved by wrapping paper bearing a design around the exterior circumferential surface of the wax layer, heating and pressing the paper against the wax layer while some portion of the melted wax soaks into the paper, and then allowing the melted portion to cool. This process is very economic, effective and more convenient than conventional techniques.